Laura Sandoval likes to keep busy.
The 20-year-old marketing junior fills up her schedule with working at UF’s Career Resource Center, Enactus, case competitions for the Heavener School of Business, and her sorority, Gamma Eta.
Sandoval said she considers being able to keep up with all of it one of her biggest accomplishments.
“I like to challenge myself, which is why I’m involved in various things,” she said. “I’m proud of the way I’ve been balancing my life.”
Sandoval also has a talent for public speaking.
She was part of the team that represented UF at the Not-for-Profit Case Competition in Canada, a 38-hour competition where teams present solutions for challenges facing a major not-for-profit organization, earlier this month. Her team placed fourth. She will also be a presenter for Enactus in Cincinnati at the U.S. National Exposition this year.
“I really like public speaking,” Sandoval said. “Don’t get me wrong, I get the jitters like crazy, but when I go out there and start talking, all of that nervousness just leaves me.”
As vice president of finance for Gamma Eta, she manages the budget and plays a larger role as a member of the executive board by handling other concerns members of the sorority have.
Sandoval said she always knew she wanted to be part of a sorority. She chose Gamma Eta because, after learning about it, she admired the members and their leadership roles on campus.
“’Classy, oh so sassy ladies,’ that’s what we’re known as” Sandoval said. “I was really impressed by these women. That’s what I saw, not girls, women.”
Sandoval said that although she loves everything she is involved with, she does want to take some time during her final two semesters to take advantage of the events that happen around campus because her schedule can keep her from participating a lot of the different activities, and she wants that for her college experience.
However, Sandoval said she has formed some strong relationships during her time at UF.
“Through my involvement, I’ve created different homes,” Sandoval said. “I have my CRC family. I also have my Gamma Eta family.”